diseases 259
- Eat plenty of grains, fresh vegetables, and fruit.
- Drink lots of barley water and water with lemon juice.
f Do not buy cheap zinc tablets. Zinc can boost the immune defenses,
but excessive intake in the form of zinc tablets can undermine and
impede the immune system. Herbs that are rich in zinc include skull-
cap leaf, Siberian ginseng root, nettle leaf, and chickweed leaf, all of
which can be taken for their general tonic properties.
f A herbal formula that will generally help to balance the hormones
and strengthen the kidney and bladder in the long term would be
three parts of saw palmetto berry and one part each of damiana leaf,
dandelion root, Rehmannia root, chickweed leaf, marshmallow root,
lobelia leaf, ginkgo leaf, Astragalus root, burdock root, parsley leaf,
and bearberry leaf. Saw palmetto berries will also help to relax the
nervous system.
f To ease infl ammation, use tincture or teas of gravel root, hydrangea
root, corn silk, and marshmallow root in equal amounts.
f For infection, use garlic cloves and echinacea root.
~ James Green also suggests herbal enemas^ —^ this is well worth a try,
and you can use the herbs mentioned below.
~ Some medical practitioners feel that the cause of the enlargement is
an accumulation of testosterone in the prostate itself. Using up the
testosterone is possibly an answer, so continue sports, sexual activity,
and work with zeal, if you can. If the prostate feels hot and unbear-
ably infl amed and urination is a nightmare, use a clay poultice over
the area at nighttime. Use equal parts of the following: bentonite clay,
slippery elm inner bark, barberry root bark, and lavender leaf and
fl ower powder, with enough castor oil to turn it all into a paste.
~ Take regular exercise to increase circulation and oxygen to the area.
~ Hot and cold showers will also increase circulation and oxygen to
the area.
psoriasis
No one knows quite how or why psoriasis appears. Some now believe,
however, that it occurs when skin cells are produced about ten times
faster than usual. Many practitioners suspect that the thinning of the
small intestine’s walls can allow poisons to enter into the circulatory and
lymphatic systems. Theories as to the cause also include autoimmune
conditions, digestive incapability, food allergies, constipation, candidiasis,
and immunization. In severe cases, the thickened white, red, and silvery
scaly skin (sometimes with yellowish pustules) can be very dry and itchy
259 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition